23/03/2024
Books 2023
It's not my concern whether you read. But I highly recommend it, for perspective, if nothing else.
I’ve Got my Eyes on You / p. 2018 Mary Higgins Clark Young girl is murdered, special needs kid sees it, r**e, romance
The House in the Cerulean Sea p. 2020 TJ Klune an EXCEPTIONAL story about exceptional (magical) children, acceptance, joy, groupthink, finding yourself, oppression, stereotypes (TOP 5 BOOKS OF THE YEAR .. THANK YOU, DONNIE)
Righteous Prey p. 2022 / John Sandford —Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport travel the nation to catch a group of Bitcoin billionaires who begin to murder people they see as “bad people” — mostly businesspeople who have earned their money on the backs of the common man.
The Extravagant Death 2021 / Charles Finch — Charles Lenox travels to the US northeast as an emissary for the queen but gets involved in a murder mystery of an aristocratic debutante — old money, new money, differences between USA-England.
Kill Me if You Can 2022 / Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins — a collection of stories that Spillane had started but not finished that Collins finished. Old gangster stories, Mike Hammer, private detective.
Under the Whispering Door 2021 / TJ Klune It’s a book about death. 4 stars
Portrait of an Unknown Woman p. 2022 / Daniel Silva -- Gabriel Allon is mostly retired, Venice, art fraud billions, millions -- 5 Stars
The Lost Ones p. 20212 / Ace Atkins Quinn Colson novel, human trafficking, gun running, cartels
Reckless p. 2015 / Chrissie Hynde biography, lots, and lots.. and lots of drug use. She was born in about 1948, lot of searching for a band, couch surfing. Very little about her time with the Pretenders.
Shifty’s Boys p. 2022 / Chris Offutt / a Mick Hardin novel, murder, backwoods country Kentucky, toxic dumping, ex-CID, sister sheriff (second time I read it.. got 20 pages in and realized I already read it, but it was so good I read it again. I like that country stuff.)
Dark Music p. 2022 / David Lagercrantz (Translated from Swedish) It is a DARK book, interrogation techniques, dark sites used for interrogation, a world authority on those techniques, murder, cover up
Timeline p. 1999 / Michael Crichton a big tech firm creates a “time machine” using quantum physics and sends people back to the 14th century—knights, battles, castles, mystery. The owner of the tech company is trying to be ahead of the trend and give consumers an offer of authenticity (the past having already happened and not been corporatized) to a market that “always has to be entertained”. 4 stars
Infamous p. 2010 / Ace Atkins —historical fiction based around the kidnapping by “Machine Gun” Kelly —the original — of oil tycoon Charles Urschel—the story details Kelly and his wife Kit’s 60 day adventure from the kidnapping to getting the money to trying to wash the money to Kelly’s capture and incarceration at Alcatraz. Includes lots of other 1930’s era gangsters and the early stages of the formation of the FBI by J Edgar Hoover.
Friend Me p. 2020 / Sheila M. Averbuch —a young adult book around the themes of fitting in, being new in town, bullying, technology, AI, parenting, and social media platforms.
The Fallen p. 2017 / Ace Atkins —Quinn Colson series, human trafficking , former military robbing banks and dope boys, strip club, dirty south Dixie mafia
Bye Bye Baby p. 2022 / Ace Atkins (as part of the Robert P. Parker collab)— Spenser series, Boston, rising politico is Dominican and progressive, inner city minority concerns, white supremacists.
The Night Hawks p. 2021 / Elly Griffiths —Ruth Galloway series, murder-su***de, experimental drugs, archaeology, Black Shuck
The Girl Who Lived Twice p. 2019 / David Lagercrantz (Translated from Swedish) — Lisbeth Salander series, Mount Everest, coverups, sibling rivalry, Russian mafia, Sweden, sherpas—their DNA that allows them to breathe at high altitudes—, media, governments (that Sherpa DNA isht is wild)
Red Winter p. 2022 / Marc Cameron — Tom Clancy — a Jack Ryan novel, Germany/East/West, cold war 1985
A Winter Grave p. 2023 / Peter May — murder, political coverup, global warming, su***de, family drama, Scotland, set in 2051.
A World of Curiosities p. 2022 / Louise Penny — an Armand Gamache novel, murder, a mom hookin out her kids 10 and 13, armed assailant mass shooting, some new (and old) characters to the Gamache series. 5 Stars. But I like this series. Every page is good in some way.
Fierce Poison p. 2022/ Will Thomas — set in 1893, detective duo Barker & Llewelyn series, poisoning, murders
Wicked City p. 2008 / Ace Atkins — Phenix City, MS, crime, murder, prostitution, gambling. Circa 1953
The Broken Places p. 2013 / Ace Atkins “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. (Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929) — armored car, prison, a Quinn Colson novel, religion
The Sinners p. 2018 / Ace Atkins ma*****na growing, gulf coast mafia, a Quinn Colson novel, Quinn gets married, race cars, Fannie Hathcock
The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye p. 2017 / David Lagercrantz — a Lisbeth Salander novel, translated from Swedish, Lisbeth starts in prison, separated twins experiments, muslims
The Shameless p. 2019 / Ace Atkins — a Quinn Colson novel, Quinn goes up against the Dixie Mafia after questions arise about a death of a teenage boy 20 years ago.
The Inheritance p. 2016 / Charles Finch — a Charles Lenox mystery, only read half before reading I’d already read it. Murder mystery surrounding discoveries in medicine around the world in the late 1800s.
home front p. 2012 / Kristin Hannah — a story about a female Blackhawk pilot who goes to war, comes back without a leg, and all the problems that arise in dealing with that as well as parenting and fixing a broken marriage.
Slippery Steps p. 2022 / Don McLeese — a memoir of a rock journalist, marriage and parenthood, growing up in the 60s and 70s, and his struggle with alcoholism and his recovery through the 12 steps of AA.
Cold Mountain p. 1997 / Charles Frazier — a story set in Civil War era with a lot of GREAT perspective about how the country was at the time, star crossed lovers, the environment of the mountains. 5 STARS
The Revelators p. 2020 / Ace Atkins — a Quinn Colson novel, Quinn tries to take down the Dixie Mafia, Fannie Hathcock, the new Governor of MS.
Community Board p. 2023 / Tara Conklin — a very easy read, quirky story about a woman whose husband leaves her and she returns to her small, New England community to heal, and navigates new friends, old community.
Broken p. 2010 / Karin Slaughter — a Will Trent story about murders in a small town outside Atlanta.
Little White Lies p. 2017 / Ace Atkins —Robert B Parker — a Spenser novel, fraudulent men, gun running, etc.
The Heathens p. 2021 / Ace Atkins — a Quinn Colson novel, alleged murder, redneck stuff.
Fatal Inquiry p. 2010 / Will Thomas — a Barker and Llewelyn novel.
Murder at Black Oaks p. 2022 / Phillip Margolin — murder, insane asyllum, Oregon, werewolves, legalities
The Weight p. 2023 / Jeff Boyd — set in Portland, young black man navigates relationships, race, a band, his faith
Devil’s Garden p. 2009 / Ace Atkins — Set in 1921 San Francisco, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, historical fiction, death, prohibition, the Pinkerton group, the original William Hearst
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun p. 2023 / Ellie Cosimano — a Finlay Donovan novel, police corruption, murder, coverups, romance, gangsters
It. Goes. So. Fast. (The Year of No Do-Overs) p. 2023 / Mary Lousie Kelly — a poignant memoir written by anchor of NPR’s All Things Considered. Parenting, parents, journalism, marriage. 5 STARS — MY BEST of the YEAR
Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski p. 2022 / Ian O’Connor — a VERY comprehensive biography about Coach K. Really good. Basketball lessons, but also life lessons.
Native Tongue p. 1991 / Carl Hiaasen — a hilarious story about south florida theme park and land development vs environmentalists. VERY funny. Hiaasen’s usual environmentalist leanings with his usual hilarity and odd characters.
Someone to Watch Over Me p. 2020 / Ace Atkins and a Robert B. Parker’s novel — a Spenser novel set in modern day Boston, it is basically a Jeffrey Epstein storyline
The Last Widow p. 2019 / Karin Slaughter — a Will Trent novel, white supremacists, romancing Sara, Will goes undercover, raid on the GA capital
Bull River p. 2014 / Robert Knott / Robert B. Parker — a Cole and Hitch novel, western, kidnapping, mexico, outlaws and Marshals.
Old Black Magic p. 2018 / Ace Atkins / Robert B. Parker — a Spenser novel, stolen art classics, mobsters, witness protection.
The Last Remains p. 2023 / Elly Griffiths — a Ruth Galloway mystery, bones are found during a renovation, Cathbad becomes a suspect, old college buddies who enjoy ancient ceremonies become suspects as well.
Loyalty p. 2023 / Lisa Scottoline — set in Palermo, Sicily, in early 1800s, lemon groves, kidnappings, murder, revenge, societal upheaval, elitism, and the origin of the Mafia. 4 stars Donnie Bravo !!!
Year Book p. 2021 / Seth Rogen — autobiographical, mostly anecdotal stories of his life from teen to director/actor/comedian. Lots of drug stories — w**d, shrooms, acid. About what one would expect. Seems a down to earth dude, though.
The Education of Kendrick Perkins p. 2022 / Perkins auto-bio — about 70% black history of the south, and the struggle black folks face, and 30% basketball. Solid book. I didn't know KP went straight from HS to NBA.
Blood Feud p. 2018 / Mike Lupica-Robert B. Parker / A Sunny Randall novel, illicit love, mob, Boston.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web /David Lagercrantz / A Lisbeth Salander novel, kidnapping, autism, murder, sibling rivalry, the Millennium magazine
55-Be All In: Raising Kids for Success in Sports and Life p. 2020 / Christie Pearce Rampone and Dr. Kristine Keane / a coaching and parenting guide from USNWT Rampone and child development doc Keane about how to best help your child/athlete be their best.
The Collector p. 2023 / Daniel Silva — a Gabriel Allon novel, Russian - Ukraine conflict, stolen nuclear bomb materials, false flag, secret undercover agents, lots of Russian events
Weapons Grade p. 2023 / Tom Clancy (deceased) - Don Bentley / a Jack Ryan Jr. novel, Texas shootouts, South African mercenaries, Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program
Revenge Tour p. 2022 / Robert P. Parker estate / Mike Lupica — a Sunny Randall novel, novelist Melanie Joan accused of plagiarism, her close circle throats slit, mob, police, Boston
The Trackers p. 2023 / Charles Frazier — post-depression era, rich guy, cowboys, wyoming, WPA
Hundred-Dollar Baby p. 2006 / Robert B. Parker — a Spenser Novel, mafia, deceit, prostitution, murder
